Nanostructured lipid carriers loaded with an association of minoxidil and latanoprost for targeted topical therapy of alopecia

• Published in: European journal of pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics 2022-03, Vol.172, p.78-88
• Main Authors: Oliveira, Paula M., Alencar-Silva, Thuany, Pires, Felipe Q., Cunha-Filho, Marcilio, Gratieri, Tais, Carvalho, Juliana Lott, Gelfuso, Guilherme M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alopecia; Hair follicle; Latanoprost; Minoxidil; Nanoparticle; Skin
• ISSN: 0939-6411; 1873-3441
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2022.02.003

[Display omitted] •Minoxidil and latanoprost are compatible, which enabled their association.•The drugs combination’s bioactivity was encouraging, especially when nanoencapsulated.•The nanostructured system did not induce adverse outcomes in the skin.•Nanocarriers targeted 50% of both drugs delivery to the hair follicles. Alopecia is a condition associated with different etiologies, ranging from hormonal changes to chemotherapy, that affects over 80 million people in the USA. Nevertheless, there are currently few FDA-approved drugs for topical treatment, and existing formulations still present skin irritation issues, compromising treatment adherence. This work aimed to develop a safe formulation based on nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) that entrap an association of minoxidil and latanoprost and target drug delivery to the hair follicles. To do so, thermal techniques combined with FTIR were used to assess the chemical compatibility of the proposed drug association. Then, NLC with 393.5 ± 36.0 nm (PdI